2012 Primary Election: Pennsylvania Attorney General

Two Democrats are seeking the nomination for state attor­ney general. The attorney general is the commonwealth’s chief legal and law enforcement officer who is responsible for prosecuting organized crime and official corruption, bringing anti-trust actions, and reviewing proposed state regulations and contracts as well as being entrusted with oversight of charitable trusts. The term is four years. The annual salary is $152,443 a year. Candidates were asked: What is the most important issue in your race?

Answer: “My priority will be to protect our children by aggressively investigating and prosecuting child sex crimes. I’ve worked with law enforcement and victims’ advocates to crack down on sex offenders and protect children from online predators. I believe we can do more to keep our kids safe. We can strengthen and expand the child predator unit in the attorney general’s office and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which uses federal databases to track down child predators. I believe the attorney general must enforce the law fairly to protect the middle class and defend the rights of every Pennsylvanian.”

Education: University of Scranton, bachelor’s degree; Temple University law school, law degree.

Employment: Attorney.

Answer: “The most important issue Pennsylvanians will decide is whether they want a prosecutor or a politician as their next attorney general. I’ve spent my career standing up for victims’ rights, prosecuting criminals and bringing those accountable to justice. Pennsylvanians deserve an attorney general who has tried a case in a Pennsylvania courtroom, who knows the laws of our Commonwealth and who has the real-world experience necessary to get the job done. As your next attorney general, I promise to never back down from a court room fight and will do everything in my power to ensure our laws are working.”